


A New Future

by KingPolar



Category: DARLING In The FRANXX (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Ending - Darling in the Franxx, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Implied Sexual Content, It’s all I can do, cuz they deserve it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-06-06 23:55:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15206282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingPolar/pseuds/KingPolar
Summary: "That bright light shone upon us for three days straight." And on the fourth day… (An alternate ending to DitF.)





	1. The Fourth Day

Futoshi lifted his garden hoe, the nth time he'd done so in his job of making new crop fields. A couple feet away, Mitsuru and Zorome were busy with their own rows. Wiping the sweat off his brow, the former stamen looked up at the sky.

The bright light that had appeared after the collapse of Zero Two's statue seemed to have finally died off after shining down on them for three days straight. No one was sure what was the cause of it was, not even Hachi or any other of the surviving supervisors, but everyone who knew them was certain that Hiro and Zero Two were somehow responsible. It was the only explanation.

Under that beautiful luminescence, everyone felt… safe. Peaceful. Memories of a smiling young boy with a name on his lips were recalled, as well as the laughter of a happy girl twirling in the sunlight.

Futoshi smiled.

And dropped his jaw as he spotted something in the sky.

"H-hey, g-guys?" Futoshi stuttered.

"Ugh, what is it now?" Zorome groaned. "We had lunch half an hour ago, ya big lug! Don't tell me you're hungry again already!"

Mitsuru remained silent, eyes focused on the dirt he was digging up.

"G-GUYS! LOOK!" Futoshi yelled, finger pointed up at the sky.

Zorome and Mitsuru looked up. Their jaws dropped.

XXX-XXX-XXX

"Ikuno! Naomi!"

The two looked up from their work to see a sweating Futoshi clutching the doorway, gasping for breath.

"Futoshi…?" Ikuno slowly said. Naomi's brow was furrowed.

"Quick! Come outside! It's a meteor - and it’s gonna land right here!"

"What?!"

XXX-XXX-XXX

"Papa, what's going on?"

Mitsuru hefted the small child in his arms as he ran down the hallway, Kokoro and Miku right behind him.

"I don't know, Ai. I don't know," he muttered.

"Mitsuru, what about Ichigo and Goro?" Kokoro frantically asked.

"Zorome's getting them as we speak!"

"Look!" Miku suddenly shouted.

Mitsuru slid to a stop, Kokoro softly bumping into his back with a grunt. Ai laughed in delight. He looked over his shoulder to where Miku was pointing out a window. His eyes followed her finger.

"Oh."

XXX-XXX-XXX

"It landed where?!" Ichigo screamed.

"Yeah! Hurry!" Zorome screamed back.

"Hachi, will you be alright?!" Goro said worriedly, supported the limping older man.

"Go!" Commanded Hachi, his voice like steel as he pushed Goro away. "I'll be fine!"

"I'll stay with him!" Nana shouted, her arm looping underneath Hachi's. "Just go!"

XXX-XXX-XXX

"Guys!"

Ikuno looked behind her, Naomi and Futoshi doing the same. She had been lucky her study was so close, otherwise her limp would've ensured her to be the last member of Squad 13 to reach the hill.

Climbing up the incline as fast as they could was the rest of the squad, Ai held tight in Mitsuru's arms.

"Hurry!" Futoshi called down. He looked at Ikuno in worry. "Will you be alright, Ikuno?"

"I'm fine," she snarled through gritted teeth.

"Don't push yourself," Naomi said gently.

"I'm fine," she repeated, softer this time.

XXX-XXX-XXX

The squad reached the top of the hill together, and froze in tandem at the sight they saw.

A golden Strelizia kneeling over where Zero Two's statue once stood, glowing with some sort of radiant luminescence.

It looked up and smiled at the group, before falling apart to the ground in golden chunks of light.

Like shards of the sun itself, the broken pieces pooled into one singular mass, and slowly shrunk smaller and smaller. Two shapes became clear, gaining more and more detail every second that passed.

Tears came to everyone's eyes, and Ichigo quietly sobbed into her hands.

Two naked figures slowly stood up from the puddle of golden light, joined at the hands.

Two faces greeted them, brighter and warmer than anything they could remember.

…

..

.

"Just like you said, Ichigo."

Hiro smiled. "We came back."

Zero Two grinned and glanced at her darling with all the love in the world.

"Did you miss us?"


	2. Reunion

“Ah! Jeez, you two!” Goro rushed forward, quickly taking off his black jacket and draping it over the nude Hiro and Zero Two, who gratefully huddled close together underneath.

Hiro smiled sheepishly as Zero Two took the opportunity to nuzzle her nose into Hiro’s cheek. “Thanks, Goro.”

The taller boy wiped his eyes and shakily laughed, firmly placing his hands on Hiro’s shoulders like he was afraid his childhood friend would disappear any second. “You’ve grown,” he noted, realizing they were almost face-to-face. His gaze drifted from the blue markings around Hiro’s eyes to the blue tips they were poking out of his dark hair. “And you have big horns.” 

Hiro cracked a grin. “It’s been a while.” 

Goro shook his head with a smile and stepped forward, silently embracing the two and slighting lifting them up with the force of his embrace. The two’s sudden cries of surprise shook the others out of their stupor, and they rushed forward to join the group hug, tears blurring everyone’s visions. Naomi looked on from a couple feet away with a smile, Ai held to her chest.

“Guys…” Zero Two whispered happily.

Miku laughed tearfully. “I’m s-so glad you g-guys are alright!” Quickly wiping at his eyes and stepping back, Zorome scoffed. “I knew you guys would be fine!” Futoshi laughed. “You were _just_ crying,” he chuckled as he brushed away his own tears. Zorome’s face flushed with pink. “S-shut up!” The shorter boy shouted in embarrassment. 

Ikuno gently shook her head with a soft laugh. “ _Everyone_ was crying,” she smiled.

Ichigo sniffled and grinned up at Zero Two. She turned her gaze at Hiro. “I’m so glad you two came back - really glad! And just like we promised, we built a home for you!” Her tone was almost frantic, as if she was trying to tell them as much as she could before they disappeared again. “It’s taking us a lot of effort and time, but we’re figuring out how to live without magma energy now! We’re going to be free from Papa’s influence soon, we’ll finally be able to live our own path!” 

Tears welled up in her eyes again. “W-welcome home, guys…” she quietly sobbed.

With a smile, Hiro reached an arm around the crying Ichigo. “We’re glad to be back.” Zero Two laughed, pulling Ichigo close in between herself and Hiro. “Really glad!” She grinned, pressing a kiss against Hiro’s cheek.

“Here,” Ikuno said suddenly as she began to take off her shirt, accustomed to being the only girl close to Zero Two’s build and size. The two had shared many of their clothing back on Mistilteinn and instinct had naturally kicked in when she saw her friend standing there naked. Before Ikuno could completely take off her shirt, however, a hand on her arm stopped her. 

“Naomi?” Ikuno questioned, eyebrow raised. 

“I’ll do it.” The brunette said, stripping off her own shirt and revealing the black sports bra underneath. “You might get a cold.”

“Naomi!?” Hiro repeated in surprise, his eyes widening. “Naomi!”

“Hiro,” the brown haired girl smiled, a few tears in her eyes. “I’m glad you found your partner.”

He reached forward with one arm, firmly grasping her shoulder. “Thank you… for everything. You won’t believe how much you’ve helped me - helped _us_ ,” he said gratefully, throwing a glance at Zero Two.

Naomi’s face turned bright red and she had to visibly resist the urge to look down. “H-hiro! P-put on some clothes! We can talk later!”

The others laughed, while Zero Two quietly pouted as her darling paid attention to a shirtless girl that wasn’t her. “Here, Hiro,” said Goro as he took off his own shirt, handing it to a grateful Hiro. 

Nearby, Zero Two grudgingly accepted Naomi’s offered clothing. “Thanks…” she grumbled. Naomi rolled her eyes with a smirk and patted her shoulder with a knowing look. When Zero Two caught her eyes, the pink haired girl quickly looked away blushing. Naomi softly laughed. _‘How cute. You have good taste, Hiro,’_ the brunette thought to herself happily.

“I can at least give you this,” Ikuno smiled, stepping forward with the blanket that had been draped across her shoulders and tying it around Zero Two’s waist. “Thank you, Ikuno,” she said softly with a light dusting of pink still on her cheeks. The bespectacled girl smiled in response, reaching down to take her hand in her own and gently squeeze it.

Goro glanced at the two girls, then gave Hiro a pointed look. “I’m not doing that,” he smirked. Hiro laughed, shaking his head. “As if I would let you,” he grinned, tying his friend’s black jacket around his own waist.

“Let’s get you two inside to some proper clothes,” Ichigo smiled. “I can’t imagine you’ve eaten in a while, either.”

“Wait.” A gentle voice interrupted.

Everyone’s heads turned to the source of the voice to find Mitsuru and Kokoro standing a couple feet away from the group. The two stood close together, side to side. 

“Hiro. Zero Two.” Kokoro smiled softly, slightly stepping aside to reveal a small pale-haired child, shyly hiding behind Mitsuru’s leg. Zero Two’s jaw dropped, and Hiro’s eyes lit up. “We’d like you to meet-“

“Ai.” Hiro suddenly said with a grin, interrupting Kokoro.

It was everyone else’s turn to be surprised. “Y-yes. H-how did you know?” Mitsuru stuttered in shock.

Hiro’s smile grew. “We heard you guys.” Their eyes widened in further surprise. “You named her Ai. For love. For us.” His smile brightened. “Thank you for that.”

He knelt on one knee, bringing his eye level down to the young child’s. “Hey there,” Hiro said softly, holding out one of his hands. “My name is Hiro.”

The wide-eyed girl looked shyly at him from around her father’s leg, tightly clutching the loose material of his pants. Gently nudging Ai’s back, Mitsuru encouraged her. “Go on. Say hi.”

Glancing up at her father, Ai lowered her gaze to the smiling Hiro and carefully reached out her hand to softly shake his hand. “Hiii,” she quietly called out.

Hiro’s smile grew - before he suddenly grunted as Zero Two threw herself on top of him. 

“It’s a little kid!” She gasped, reaching over Hiro’s head. Firmly grasping a mildly terrified Ai’s cheeks, Zero Two moved the little girl’s small head back and forth, inspecting every inch of her youthful face.

“She’s so cute!!” Zero Two squealed in delight. “Look at those fat little cheeks! She looks just like you, Kokoro! A mini-Kokoro!”

“... Zero Two?” 

“Yes, darling?” She grinned down at her darling who she was currently balancing on. 

Her eyes widened as Hiro suddenly stood up, lifting and keeping her balanced on top of his back. “Waaah! Darling!” Zero Two cried in surprise, wrapping her limbs around Hiro’s waist and neck to make sure she didn’t fall off. 

Zorome whistled. “Damn Hiro, when’d you get so buff?” Hiro only grinned and shrugged in response, causing a surprised Zero Two to yelp from the sudden rippling movement of his shoulders.

“Don’t scare the little kid, Zero Two.” Hiro playfully reprimanded as Ai quickly took the opportunity to run back and hide behind Mitsuru’s leg, free from the scary pink lady’s grasp.

Zero Two pouted. “But she’s so cute and squishy!! Although…” Her pout dropped, a delighted grin taking its place. She tightened her grip on Hiro and nuzzled into the back of his neck, happily breathing in the scent of her darling. “I like this very _very_ much. Carry me the whole way, darling!”

Laughing, Hiro nodded. “Of course!”

Miku rolled her eyes with a smile. “Glad to see you two haven’t changed at all.” Zorome mimicked puking. “Get a room!” He called out. _Whap!_ “Ow!” Wincing, Zorome rubbed the back of his head. Glaring at his assaulter, he growled. “What the heck was that for?!”

“Oh, shut up.” Miku scoffed, glaring right back.

As the pilots of Argentea started to bicker, Ichigo shook her head with a sigh. “Those two haven’t changed much either.” 

She smiled at Hiro and Zero Two. “C’mon. You guys have a lot to catch up on. A lot of things have changed…”

 

“... but I think you guys would be happy that this has stayed the same.” Ichigo said as she opened the door.

Hiro’s eyes widened. “It looks exactly the same!”

After providing the two with proper clothing, Ichigo and Goro had led them to the residential area. They stopped at a familiar door where Hiro was surprised to find his and Zero Two’s old room practically untouched.

With a smile, Ichigo nodded. “We changed the sheets every week, and made sure to keep the entire place clean for w-when you guys returned.” She quickly wiped a couple tears away. “I’m just so glad you guys are really back…” Ichigo quietly mumbled. 

“Ichigo…” Hiro said hesitantly.

Goro threw a comforting arm around his partner, who smiled gratefully. 

“Anyways.” Just to be sure, Ichigo wiped at her eyes one more time. “You guys don’t need me here making everything wet. Get some rest. You two are definitely getting a checkup tomorrow but for now - you two deserve a break.”

She lunged forward, throwing her arms around both Hiro and Zero Two. “I’m so happy,” She sighed. Zero Two smiled. “Thank you, Ichigo.” “For everything,” Hiro murmured, pressing his lips against the top of his childhood friend’s head. 

Ichigo grinned. “Okay, we’re going now. We’ll bring you some food in a couple hours. Futoshi plans to honor his promise, Zero Two.” She smiled at the wide grin that spread across the taller girl’s face, as well as Hiro’s confused expression.

Pulling away from the hug with mild reluctance, the former Squad Leader grasped Goro’s arm and made her way out to the hallway, pulling him along and closing the door behind her.

After a couple seconds, the door cracked opened. Goro’s head poked through the small gap. “Uh, by the way? The walls aren’t soundproof. Just saying.” 

He ducked back out, shutting the door and narrowly dodging the pillow Hiro threw at his head. Ichigo’s indignant cry of “Goro!!” and the tall boy’s laughter echoed from the hallway.

 

Hiro shook his head with a laugh. “I swear, Goro sometimes…”

When only silence answered him, he raised an eyebrow and curiously turned around.

Behind him, a quiet Zero Two stood before the small table by the bed. She slowly turned through the pages of ‘The Beast and the Prince’, staring at each picture, at the careful recreation of the storybook art from her childhood. 

Eventually, she reached the final two pages. The two she had left empty. Her fingers brushed across the blank paper.

Warm arms slowly circled around her. A weight settled upon her shoulder and a familiar scent filled her senses. Slightly turning her face, Zero Two smiled as her nose brushed against her darling’s.

“We came back, Zero Two. Just like we promise.”

“Yes we did, darling.”

“We can write our new ending.”

Tears came to her eyes. A few drops slowly made their way down her cheek.

“Y-yes. Yes, we can.”

Her darling’s hands grasped her waist, and she was carefully turned around. Her glistening wet eyes met her darling’s. One of his hands rose up, cupping her cheek and gently brushing away the tears. Zero Two leaned into his touch with a small smile.

When tears started to drip down her darling’s own cheeks, she leaned forward to tenderly kiss them away.

Laughing shakily, Hiro pulled her close, burying his face into her pink hair. She happily did the same, nuzzling into the crook of his neck with a smile. A smile that quickly became mischievous.

Hiro yelped as he was suddenly pushed on to the bed. In an instant, Zero Two was over him, straddling him and pinning his wrists down on either side of his head. 

She leaned in close, taking in her darling’s scent in deep breaths, basking in it, savoring it, reveling in the smell of her beloved.

“It’s been _forever_ since I could touch you, darling... “ she murmured, softly brushing her lips against her darling’s.

Hiro growled, and his eyes flashed blue.

With a sudden rush of movement and momentum, he flipped them around, firmly holding her hands above her head.

 _“Darling!”_ Zero Two gasped, eyes wide from her beloved’s unexpected show of strength. His horns glowed with an eerie blue light. 

“Do you know… how _long_ I’ve wanted this? To have you _so close_ for _years_ and not be able to-” She gasped again as his warm, wet tongue dragged itself across her cheek. “-to _taste_ you?”

Shivers shot down her spine as arousal flushed her core. “P-please…!” She weakly begged.

“No more. I’m not waiting any longer.” His voice was different. Rougher. Bestial. It sounded… it sounded like _her._ She was filled with a primordial want.

“I am going to _devour_ you whole, Zero Two…”

His tongue ran along her neck, and she moaned as her legs spasmed in pleasure. She weakly tried to break free from his grasp, to stop his teasing, but was too dazed, too drunk on arousal and lust to realize his strength somehow surpassed her own. 

_“Mmm._ Is this what I taste like to you?”

“Dah-dahling!” She gasped breathlessly. Every nerve felt like it was on fire but why? Whywhywhy wasn’t darling doing anything?!

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his lips crashed into her own, and she moaned as she finally tasted her beloved. Their tongues clashed and fought for dominance. Eventually, Hiro pulled away, ignoring Zero Two’s whine of displeasure.

“I’ve been denied this long enough. You’re _mine_ , Zero Two… and soon?”

His eyes blazed with an electric blue fire, and another rush of arousal shot through her body and core.

“Soon, everyone will know.”


	3. Recuperation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, my only excuse is my horrible work ethic. But hey, Hiro’s birthday is the 15th, so here’s my present to him. This chapter was actually supposed to be longer, but I literally wrote over half of it yesterday and everyone’s waited long enough for an update.
> 
> Speaking of updates (if you didn’t catch the changed summary) I did a couple edits to the first two chapters so feel free to go ahead and read those too. 
> 
> Enjoy the long overdue update, and don’t forget to leave a review so I feel good about myself.

“Daaahling.”

A quiet voice called him out of his sleep.

Propping himself up against the headboard, Hiro tiredly blinked his eyes a couple times, his blurry vision clearing. He couldn’t help the loving smile that appeared on his lips when he found himself face-to-face with Zero Two, the beautiful girl grinning up at him with her upper body lazily strewn across his chest.

One arm already wrapped around her waist, Hiro’s free hand rose to cup her face. She purred in pleasure as he gently stroked her cheek.

“Zero Two.”

“Mmm?”

His smile grew. “You didn’t wait too long for me to wake up, did you?”

“Nope! I think we both needed all the rest we could get after _that.”_ Her grin turned mischievous. “You surprised me, darling, you really did!”

Hiro felt his cheeks heat up.

“I didn’t know you could be so…” She leaned in close, her breath ghosting against his ear. “So _rough.”_ Zero Two suddenly pulled back with an eager smile. “You’re gonna spoil me, darling! I want more!”

Ignoring his blush with practiced ease, Hiro smiled back. “I’ll try my best not to disappoint.”

“Oh darling,” she giggled. Her gaze turned sultry, her voice lowering in tone. _“You never disappoint.”_

Hiro felt the blood in his cheeks travel to other places.

“But first!” Zero Two smiled brightly, jumping off the bed. “I want a bath! It’s been too long since I’ve had one, too long!” She suddenly gasped, spinning around to face him as realization flashed in her eyes. “We can take a bath together now!”

Hiro threw his head back and laughed, a warm feeling filling his chest at Zero Two’s beaming face. “Of course, of course.”

The pink haired girl he loved so much eagerly bounced toward the door. Before she could open it, however, Hiro coughed loudly. When she turned back with a questioning look, he raised an eyebrow. 

“Clothes?”

Zero Two looked down, realizing she was still completely nude from their activities last night. 

She pouted.

“Do I haaaave to?”

“Zero Two.”

“Fiiiine.”

After taking a couple more minutes to convince Zero Two (with lots of kisses, of course), the two made their way out of their room. With a bundle of clean clothes and a towel held underneath one of their arms, their free hands were firmly clasped together as Hiro led them through twisting hallways Zero Two only barely recognized.

Her only memory of the Bird’s Nest was back before boarding Strelizia Apus, when they were confined in Squad specific areas, so she was rather unfamiliar with the part of the large building they were currently in.

“Uh, it should be right this way! ...I think.” 

Not that Hiro was any better. It seemed even he was unsure of his path. Many things had changed since he had last walked these halls, and the time he _had_ spent here was rather stressful. But he was fairly sure the location of the bathrooms, at the very least, had remained the same.

Zero Two smiled reassuringly, gently squeezing his hand. “I trust you, darling.”

Making one last turn around a corner, Hiro was relieved to find the showers right where he remembered them. 

“See, I knew the way!” He declared, throwing a mildly relieved but proud smile over his shoulder to Zero Two, who happily grinned in response and leaned forward to peck at his lips with a quick kiss. “Never had a doubt, darling.” The male and female symbols over the two entryways gave Hiro pause, at least until Zero Two rolled her eyes and pulled him into the closest one with a laugh.

“Zero Two!” He half-heartedly admonished. “What if someone walks in?” Hiro actually wasn’t as embarrassed by the idea as he felt he should be. In fact, the idea of someone that wasn’t him seeing Zero Two in all her glory made him rather irritated for some reason, even if it was the female showers they had entered.

She grinned back in response, her voice teasing. “Then they should be glad I’m kind enough to allow them a chance at seeing darling’s delicious body!” A hard edge entered her tone, but an undercurrent of humor remained. “No touching though! Only _I_ get to touch…” 

That certainly got him blushing.

 

The instant Zero Two returned to their room, she threw herself onto the bed with a loud cry of happiness. Grinning when she realized the mixed scent of herself and her darling had seeped into the covers and pillows after last night’s slumber, she gathered the blankets in her arms and gleefully rolled back and forth, breathing in the delicious smell of her darling.

Hiro followed her into the room soon after holding a basket containing their used towels and clothes, smiling when he found her happily twisting across the sheets. “Zero Two,” he laughed, placing down the basket by the desk where the covers from last night’s activities also were. “Stop that - your hair is still wet and I _just_ changed those yesterday.”

The girl in question froze mid-roll, looking up at Hiro with a big upside-down pout. Slowly, she lifted the bundle of blankets over her head, not breaking their eye-contact.

“Zero Two-” Hiro warned, though his loving smile was still present.

“No.” She dropped the blankets and hugged them close, smothering and hiding her face from view. From underneath the bundle came muffled squeals of happiness as she kicked her legs up and down in delight.

Suddenly, her darling-scented blankets were taken. Zero Two frowned. “Hey! What the heck-?”

Her eyes widened as Hiro pressed his lips against her own. Kneeling down beside the bed, he had quickly pulled away Zero Two’s looted sheets and kissed her before she could finish her sentence.

Zero Two blinked. Then blinked a second time. And blinked whole lot more times after that until realization lit up in her eyes, and she happily melted into the kiss. Her hands rose up to softly caress his face, her fingers tracing wild lines back and forth along his jawline.

A few seconds later, the two reluctantly separated for a breath of air.

Flipping around, a smiling Zero Two propped herself up, her eyes wide with wonder. “You’re so forward, darling! I love it!”

Hiro grinned and pounced. Zero Two squealed in both surprise and delight as his sudden assault forced her back on the bed. She giggled when he shoved his nose into the side of her neck, his warm breath tickling her pale skin as she happily wrapped her arms around him.

Carefully making sure he wasn’t putting all his weight upon the girl underneath him, Hiro smiled again. “I meant what I said last night, Zero Two,” he murmured softly.

“Oh?”

“I love you. So, so, _so_ much. We’ve spent so long fighting for each other… but… but I’m tired of fighting, Zero Two. I don’t want to fight anymore.” He breathed in her scent, letting the comforting smell wash over his sense and settle his nerves. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Zero Two. I want to be by your side, to tell you that I love you every day, to _show_ you. From now until the end of time - and beyond even that.”

She smiled brightly, eyes shining with unfallen tears. “Silly darling.” Her hands rose up to gently cup his cheeks and lift his face, allowing his wet gaze to meet her own. A couple of his tears threatened to fall until her thumb carefully wiped them away. “I love you too. I ask myself every day, what on earth did I ever do to deserve you?”

Hiro’s mouth opened to say something but Zero Two quietly silenced him with a finger to his lips.

“Whatever it was that I did, I’m happy that I was able to meet you and touch you and taste you and _love you._ I promise, darling. No matter what happens, we’re never gonna be separated again. From now until the end of time.“ She gently turned, pulling him down beside her. “And beyond even that.”

“And beyond even that,” Hiro softly echoed.

The two silently lied there, holding on tight to each other for as long as they could. 

Outside, the sun broke through the clouds.

 

Hiro raised an eyebrow. “Is this really necessary?”

“Yes.” Hachi didn’t bother looking up from his tablet, intently studying the information it was relaying to him from the various machines attached to Hiro and Zero Two.

Zero Two pouted. “I don’t like it.”

Softly patting the disgruntled girl’s shoulder, Ikuno smiled comfortingly. “You’ve been in space for over two years, and didn’t even have a body for the majority of that. We’re just making sure you and Hiro are okay.”

A dozen days or so had passed since Hiro and Zero Two returned, and checkups by Hachi had become a frequent occurrence for the two. Today’s session had required being connected to machines, an experience no Parasite liked - least of all Hiro and Zero Two. They had dealt with more than enough wires, cables, needles, and more going into their bodies.

With a reluctant sigh of acceptance, Zero Two nodded. She leaned against Hiro, resting her head on his shoulder and shutting her eyes. Smiling, Hiro reached for her hand, gently squeezing it. He pressed a kiss against the side of Zero Two’s head, who hummed happily.

Watching on with a small smile, Ikuno was happy to finally be able to see Hiro and Zero Two acting so intimate again. She had never realized how much she missed the two’s frequent displays of affection until they had disappeared, and was glad to know that even amongst the radically changing lives of the parasites…

“...at least one thing has stayed the same,” Ikuno mumbled under her breath.

“What was that?” Hachi asked, finally glancing up from his tablet. Ikuno met his gaze coolly. “Nothing. Is everything alright with Hiro and Zero Two?”

The two looked up at the sound of their names.

“For the most part. Despite the fact she didn’t possess a human body for two years, Code:002 - _Zero Two_ has shown growth expected of a girl at her age. Seems perfectly healthy as well-“

“What about darling?”

Everyone looked at Zero Two, surprised by her sudden outburst.

“You said ‘for the most part’! Is something wrong with darling?!” Her grip on Hiro’s hand became tight.

“Zero Two-“ Hiro began, attempting to comfort the worried girl beside him.

“No, no, it’s my fault.” Interrupted Hachi. “A poor choice of words, I apologize.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Code:016 - _Hiro._ Hiro is perfectly fine. But as you might have noticed, he’s been demonstrating a multitude of physical changes to almost identically match Zero Two’s biological makeup.”

Ikuno’s eyes widened, her suspicions slowly being confirmed. “‘Identically match’? So you’re saying…”

Behind her, Hiro and Zero Two shared a look.

Hachi solemnly nodded. “Hiro, for all intents and purposes, is as much a human-klaxo sapien hybrid as Zero Two is.” Ikuno gasped, yet the two in question didn’t seem to react at all. “His physical growth has skyrocketed, such as his height, muscle mass, and more. He seems to even have a healing factor similar to Zero Two’s, albeit a somewhat weaker version. I’m sure that is to develop until it becomes as strong as hers, however.”

As Hachi continued his explanation, Hiro silently pressed his forehead against Zero Two’s. Their horns touched and a small pulse of blue and red light ran through them as feelings of love and affection were shared through their bond, the two shivering from the feeling that was so natural yet unnatural at the same time.

“You hear that, Zero Two?” Hiro quietly murmured under his breath, low enough that only she could hear. “We’re the same now. In every possible way.”

Zero Two smiled silently, and gently brushed her lips against his own.

 

“Ah, Naomi!”

As the trio left the medical room, Hachi staying behind, Hiro was the first to notice his old partner lazily leaning against the wall outside. She glanced up from the small purple book she was reading, a smile breaking across her face as she caught sight of the people she was waiting for. Pushing herself off the wall with a small grunt, Naomi happily accepted Hiro’s hug with a smile.

Hiro pulled back, staring wide-eyed at her missing arm. “Your arm! I didn’t even notice! Are you alright?”

Her smile turned mischievous as she waved off his concerns. “It’s old news, Hiro, very old news.” Naomi shrugged nonchalantly, slipping the small purple book into her pocket. “I can’t be coming back to life without _something_ missing, now can I?” She gave a sly smirk to Ikuno and Zero Two, subtly nodding towards Hiro’s expression.

A single glance at the incredulous look on his face sent the girls around him into hysterics. Hiro could only watch on in great confusion as Ikuno and Naomi practically collapsed against each other in laughter.

Giggling, Zero Two pressed her cheek against Hiro’s shoulder. “Oh darling,” she sighed happily, a small smile on her lips. “I love you so much.”

“Wh-what?”

With a small smile, Naomi tugged on his sleeve. “Walk with me, Hiro. We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

Hiro glanced at Zero Two, his question clear in his eyes. Zero Two grinned reassuringly in response and gave him a small push forward as she fell back beside Ikuno, the two friends quickly engaging in a spirited conversation.

A warm feeling filled Hiro’s chest at the sight of the once cold and standoffish girl talking so happily and comfortably with another person. The weeks after the attack on the Grand Crevasse had been a bit awkward for everyone involved as Zero Two worked to integrate herself into Squad 13, and Hiro was glad to see even being away in space for two years had not hurt the bonds that had been formed.

He turned back to Naomi, only to blush at her knowing smile.

“You love her, don’t you?” 

Her voice was coy and teasing, with just a hint of a challenge. Hiro met her head-on, slightly tilting his chin upwards.

“More than anything.” Pride and confidence filled his every word, for they were words he would never deny.

“Good.” Naomi’s eyes glittered with happiness. “Last time we saw each other, you needed that more than anything piloting could have ever given you. More than anything the plantation, or the squad, or even the Council could’ve given you. I’m happy you found a reason to live for.”

She grinned, and Hiro was suddenly hit by the realization of how much he had missed that impish smile of hers.

He smiled back. “So am I.”

A concerned frown formed on his face as he eyed her empty sleeve, the cloth simply swinging along as the small group walked aimlessly down one of the many hallways of the Bird’s Nest. He was faintly aware that they were on the first floor.

“But really, are you okay? The arm doesn’t bother you at all?” 

Naomi laughed, startling Hiro. “N-Naomi?” He stuttered in confused surprise.

Softly shaking her head, brown locks swaying, the young woman smiled. “Ever the mother hen, aren’t you, Hiro?”

Giggling at Hiro’s sputtered excuses, Naomi pushed on. “Please, don’t make this about me. I’m fine - I’ve had plenty of time to adjust.”

As she led him around a corner, her concerned brown eyes searched the confused blue of his own. “I wanted to ask if _you_ were alright, believe it or not. You may have had to be physically fine to leave Hachi’s inspection, but what about emotionally? I can’t even begin to comprehend what you’ve had to experience these past few years.”

Hiro remained silent, his gaze drifting out the windows they were strolling past. Outside, the sun was setting - painting the sky and clouds beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. The countless different colors worked in unison to create a truly breathtakingly beautiful scene.

How it reminded him of everyone that had a part in his own life, of his friends that had done so much for him. 

Of the girl that had been by his side through it all.

Hiro turned back to Naomi, a small yet satisfied smile on his face.

“I’m fine. After fighting for so long, I finally have everything I’ve ever loved by my side.” He looked upwards at the ceiling with a sigh, fingers interlocking behind his head. “It’s all been a bit of a blur, but I’m looking forward to taking everything in and finally enjoying what I have. I don’t think anyone can fault me for that.”

Beside him, Naomi looked on with a smile. “No, I don’t think anyone can.”

She placed a hand to her cheek, a faux thoughtful look on her face. “But y’know…”

Hiro shifted his gaze to her, a hint of apprehension filling him. Naomi had been devilishly mischievous during their Garden days and he quite clearly remembered the tone of the voice she used when she was about to try and pull a fast one on someone. He had been that someone enough times to be wary.

“Ever since I was awakened from my cryogenic sleep, I’ve had plenty of people - a lot of who weren’t even from Squad 13 - tell me all about what both you and Zero Two have taught us parasites. Of our emotions, of our dreams, of how to be human.”

A sly smile crossed her face as Naomi stopped beside a set of double doors, Hiro and Zero Two both trading small looks of surprise at the abrupt halt, and placed her hands on one of the doors as Ikuno quickly stepped up to the other side with a knowing smirk.

“If anything, I think everyone would like to thank you.” The two pushed the doors open and suddenly dozens of smiling and laughing faces were greeting Hiro and Zero Two, colored confetti and ribbon-like strips of paper shooting up into the air.

“SURPRISE!!!” 

 

“Wha-what is this?” A wide-eyed Zero Two wondered out loud as she slowly entered through the doors, looking around the heavily decorated room filled with people. Some she recognized, her friends from Squad 13 and other parasites she vaguely recalled seeing during countless mission briefings. Others were entirely new faces to her, pilots from Plantations not even she had been to before.

“I think this used to be the cafeteria…” her darling softly said, eyeing a large white banner hanging from the ceiling that read ‘WELCOME BACK HIRO AND ZERO TWO’ in big red writing.

“It’s your welcome back party!” Futoshi popped up behind them, throwing both arms around the two and hugging them close. Darling made a cute _“Urk!”_ sound from the sudden embrace, but a grin slowly began to form on Zero Two’s face as her eyes searched the room. 

Her face lit up as she found what she was looking for, a line of tables covered in food - pastries, meats, salads and more that she could only just barely see over the heads of the crowd that had decided to begin their festivities. Already, the low murmur of countless conversations happening at the same time filled the room. “Don’t tell me…?”

Futoshi’s smile seemed to grow tenfold in size and strength. “Yep! This is the feast I’d promised you two when you came back!” His grin turned apologetic, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry it took so long, you guys returning was kinda a big surprise.”

Laughing joyfully, Zero Two wrapped her arms around both Futoshi and her darling, easily lifting the two boys up a couple inches off the ground with a massive hug. “I love it! Thank you so much, Futoshi!” From where he was squished into the taller boy’s shoulder, her darling made a muffled sound of confusion. “A feast…?”

“Jeez Zero Two, are you hugging them or choking them out?” Miku appeared by their side, a small party hat resting between her usual pigtails with two more in her hands.

As Zero Two let the two boys down with a smile, Miku put one of the small hats on top of Zero Two’s pink head, placing the other one on Hiro. Stepping back to look at her work, she smiled to herself, satisfied.

“Now.” Her smile turned warm as she spread her arms, gesturing at the roving crowds of people around them. “Come on and mingle! All the squads have had plenty of parties by themselves, but it’s rare we get a reason really worth celebrating to have such a big event as this one.” Miku raised a hand to the side of her mouth, stage-whispering with a grin. “Ichigo is quite the party-pooper. Always worried about resources and manpower and all that nonsense.”

Ichigo scoffed, entering the conversation with a faux look of indignation on her face. “If we had as many parties as you wished we had, Miku, we’d have been out of food and supplies months ago.”

The redhead shrugged, her air of indifference only ruined by her grin. “Parties are fun, and we can always do with more of it around here sometimes.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes. “While Miku is wrong about a lot of things-“ 

“Hey!”

“-she’s somewhat correct about this. Enjoy yourselves.” She placed a hand on both Hiro’s and Zero Two’s arms, smiling warmly at the two. “You guys of all people have earned it.” 

“And please, enjoy the food!” Futoshi added proudly. “Me and all the other cooks worked really hard on everything, and I’d love to hear your feedback!”

“Oooh!” Zero Two’s eyes widened in excitement. “Show me show me show me!” She chanted, letting out an energetic cheer when Futoshi began to march off towards the tables she had spotted earlier lined up beside the wall. “C’mon darling, let’s go!” Tugging at his sleeve, Zero Two pouted when her darling laughed. “Daaahling!”

Hiro grinned, reaching down to grasp her hand within his own. Fingers interlocking, he pressed their foreheads together, their horns touching. “Sorry. You’re just so cute, Zero Two.” He pecked a kiss onto her nose. “Aw, thanks! So are you, darling!” She happily replied as she pressed her own kiss against his cheek. Sharing affectionate smiles, the two followed after Futoshi. “Let’s hurry,” murmured Hiro. “I’ve been strangely hungry since Hachi’s checkup.” Zero Two giggled in delight, the sound making Hiro’s chest feel strangely warm. “Me too, darling! Isn’t that strange?”

Hiro tilted his head, a thoughtful look on his face. After a moment of contemplating he suddenly smiled reassuringly, gently squeezing her hand. “No… no, I don’t think so.”

As Miku and Ichigo watched the two leave, Miku sighed happily. “I’m happy they’re back.” She smirked towards Ichigo when the blue haired girl threw her a questioning glance. “Now I can be sick of another couple being cute. You and Goro were getting a bit boring with your whole ‘dancing around each other shtick’,” she giggled, throwing her head back in full-blown laughter when Ichigo rolled her eyes. Huffing in exasperation, the shorter girl stormed off in a weak attempt to hide her dark blush. “Aw Ichigo, come back! It was a joke! Ichigo!” The grinning redhead quickly chased after her friend.

 

Up above, the stars shone brightly. Hiro couldn’t help but appreciate how much more beautiful they seemed here down on Earth in comparison to the cold vastness of deep space; the chilly night wind softly breezed through his hair; the grass gently prickled against the back of his arms and his neck; his beautiful Zero Two nestled up beside him, her head resting on his shoulder and his arm securely wrapped around her.

Further down the hill they were lying upon, the faint noises of their surprise party could still be heard. Even now, a couple hours later, their fellow Parasites were still going strong. He had to admire their energy, if only because he couldn’t find it within himself to match it.

After absolutely gorging upon the food Futoshi and the other cooks had made for him and Zero Two (and wasn’t that a surprise, the sheer ease he had in keeping up with Zero Two’s indomitable appetite - another result of his metamorphosis, he supposed), the two had suddenly been beset by an almost constant stream of visits from both their friends from Squad 13 and entirely new people from other Squads. They had apparently been interested in meeting the two that freed them from VIRM and were quick to offer that thanks and gratitude for everything they had done for their fellow Parasites.

Zero Two, while accustomed to being the center of attention, had found the difference in scrutinization and appreciation almost unsettling. She could handle the scorn and distrust of others, but when they presented themselves so earnestly, so honestly? That feeling was entirely foreign, even with all the time she had spent with the family-like Squad 13. Hiro had been quick to notice her growing state of unrest and excused the two, leading them outside to the hill where they currently found themselves upon. 

As the two lovers lied there in silence, a sudden realization struck Hiro. For what was possibly the first time in their lives, he and Zero Two were free to do whatever they wished. They had no crazy scientist watching over their every move, no immortal princess of an ancient civilization using them, no massive alien army to defeat. Finally, _finally,_ they were their own people able to chase after whatever goal in life they wanted.

Zero Two softly sighed, pushing her nose into his collarbone and nuzzling further into his warmth. An affectionate smile appeared on his face, and he couldn’t help but press a loving kiss against the crown of her head. Of course, it was already clear to Hiro on what he and Zero Two would be doing. They had made a promise after all, and they never broke their promises.

The girl he loved more than anything stirred, her pale green eyes slowly blinking as she looked up at him with a questioning gaze. His smile grew just a bit brighter as he sat up, lifting her up with him and gently capturing her lips with his own. He felt her also smile against his lips, humming happily as she shifted her body over his own and straddled his lap.

They eventually broke apart breathless but with their foreheads pressed together, gazing deep into each other’s eyes. He was faintly aware of her soft hands cupping his head as he had his own hands on either side of her waist.

“...darling,” she murmured, her voice like music to his ears, her breath ghosting over his jaw, her scent flooding his senses. 

“Zero Two.” He spoke quietly, but something about the way he simply said her name captured her attention entirely. “Do you remember my promise? _Our_ promise?”

She tilted her head in question. “How could I forget, darling?” She smiled softly. Serenely. “We’re gonna go see the world. The oceans, the mountains - everything this world we fought for has to offer. We’re gonna see every part of it.” Her eyes were shining.

“Mm.” He pressed their lips together in another kiss, but while the one from earlier was burning hot with emotion, this one was gentler. Softer. A silent promise to match their spoken one. “I’ll show you everything about this planet that I can, my love. Everything.”

“Together?”

“Together.”


End file.
